Trump is starting to look desperate
Since I do believe that President Trump no longer has a path to the White House – a longshot to the GOP nomination, but not in a General Election — the only question is why is he running?
There are two possibilities to consider. The first is that he actually believes he can win. That would make him arguably delusional. He has never won a popular vote. And even if you dispute the outcome of the 2020 presidential election, he did not come out a winner – and he failed to prove that the outcome was overturned by election chicanery where it matters – in a court-of-law.
In the 2016 primaries, most Republican voters cast ballots for someone other than Trump. In that year, there is no dispute that most Americans voted for Hillary Clinton – while Trump won the all-important Electoral College vote.
In 2018, Republicans lost control of the House in what was developing as a growing anti-Trump wave. He made every election about him – and Democrats were more than happy to oblige. True … that is what often happens to first term presidents, but there was a strong anti-Trump vote in 2018
In 2020, Republicans lost the Senate and the White House. Whatever you may believe about the presidential race, the GOP lost races it could have – and should have – won. Again, Trump seemed to be a drag on the ticket.
The 2022 Midterm Election was an unprecedented disaster for Republicans. There was no red wave. The off-year tradition that usually plays against the party in the White House did not apply. Democrats gained governorships and flipped state legislative bodies.
There were a few bright spots. Republicans gained control of the House by a few seats – nothing close to the anticipated 20 to 30-seat margin. They did remarkably well in Florida and Texas – and in picking up congressional seats in New York and California.
In terms of Trump’s popularity and political capital, the results of the election were disastrous. Virtually every candidate who ran in strong support for Trump – and his perspective on the 2020 election — lost.
In the aftermath, pillars of Trump’s past support began to crumble. News outlets that had been supportive of the past President were among the harshest critics – calling for his removal as the titular head of the Republican Party. Political leaders, who were hitherto in Trump’s camp, are looking past him as a future Party leader.
Assuming that Trump is not delusional, he must know that his chances of returning to the White House are between slim to none. He won on a technicality in 2016 – and that is not likely to happen again. While his decreasing number of diehard loyalists are loud and insistent, they lack the power of numbers required to put Trump back into contention. They are not enough to give Trump the kind of pluralities that enabled him to win primaries against a large field of opponents – and it is unlikely that such a large field (16 competitors to Trump) will happen in 2024
If he understands that, why is he running? His critics across the political spectrum offer the same three-part explanation. He likes to be the center of attention. He wants to keep the fundraising machine operating. He sees running – and being President – as a shield against prosecution. No matter how long the longshot may be, it is better than the loss of public attention and money – and the desperate hope of avoiding being on the wrong side of judges and juries in the myriad of criminal and civil cases that are currently evolving, with potentially more to come.
Perhaps the greatest blow to Trump from the 2022 election results is that he is no longer the person to keep others from running. He is not a pre-emptive candidate. His petulant personality is wearing thin. Knowing he cannot win a General Election – and is unlikely to succeed in the run of Republican primaries – no challenger will be fearful of entering the race. His only slim hope is that a dozen or more will do so — producing déjà vu all over again.
So, there ‘tis.
Larry, I’m sure your anti-Trump rant has finally made Stetson happy for once.
That would be like calling Pence “I won’t testify but you can buy my book” a hero. Too little, too late. Too much water under the bridge. Too soon.
I pick it’s for the money, prosecution, and the power — for revenge. And now Larry’s on the list :>)
He has got to be running dry, this is his easiest source for raising funds. He’s got about 100 million meaning he has been bleeding red given how much the suckers have pitched in. His current PAC can cover personal expenses and has been shoveling millions into his legal financial boat anchor. They also funneled 20M a month ago to magarats running for office. While his campaign coffers will be scrutinized, Trump has learned the ways of the PAC and suits have already been thrown over the new ones popping up. That’s where the money will be, in the new PACs.
Prosecution — that’s a longer shot, he will need to replace much in the DOJ and the current DOJ will undoubtedly leave roadblocks to that happening overnight. And his running or not will not change much until 2025 at best case. He can stop the House investigation, that may die January 2023 unless there’s enough House members, and it won’t take many Republicans, stand up and end it by letting the investigations run on. But it’s probably too late for that to matter as DOJ is taking off and they are on a different clock. The House can try to strangle them with budget, but that’s a slow and imperfect process to target a single investigation.
Power — what can I say. It can be used for many things. If re-elected, he will seek revenge. He has a list. It has Democrats and Republicans on it — Trump is equal in hating anyone he thinks has dissed him. Now, Larry has crossed the line :>) Before he waffled, now he has stepped across. But he’s still pulling a Pence. Too little, too late, now that he’s at a Captain Obvious moment, he is coming around, but let’s face it —- he still thinks he’s right on the second impeachment and he still thinks 1/6 was an organic response to the moment in time. And God only knows how or if he rationalizes the Mar A Loser Papers. He’s taken a step but he’s not quite all-in yet.
I haven’t smiled about anything Trump since before Atlantic City. We all laughed him off as a buffoon supported by suckers, rich and poor alike, that he huckstered into giving him their hard-earned money, but harming little else. That changed as his failures and the people destroyed by them, mounted larger and more frequent. He keeps coming back, a strength, but also our weakness in not realizing the dangers he poses.
Interesting view Frank, I agree with it. And as one who has beached at Atlantic City and has friends there, I agree with you. And as far as Pence goes, I totally disagree with his assertion that he will not testify because of “Separation of Powers”. I thought Lady Justice is supposed to be blind which to me would mean she cannot see the separation. Pence should testify but will not because he still wants a career in politics. Now as far as Trump goes, the simple fact is that he is a flaming narcissist! All of the behaviors spoken of in this blog are elements of narcissism. And narcissism is a mental disorder. Period. And this is the opinion of an Independent / unaffiliated voter.
Our beloved country seems to be on her last legs. I really don’t think it matters who the president is. Those that run the show from behind the scenes have a mission to bring her down. They cannot have one world government as long as the USA is strong and free. They give us the illusion that we have a legitimate vote, but we all know, at least those of us that are still capable of thinking, that the evil powers behind the curtain install the puppets they want to be there. If anyone fights against them and their agenda to bring the USA down, it does not end well for that person. The evil makes an example out of them so that no one else will even try to fight against them any time soon. It also does not help matters, that our people are ignorant of what is going on. They just go along thinking things are normal. Maybe in a case such as this, it would be better to be blissfully ignorant and try to be happy for however much time we have left to live free.
There are multiple sources that claim that Mr. Trump had registered and voted Democrat more often than Republican, so what if it turns out that he’s been on the side of the Democrats all along, and ran as a Republican candidate to destroy that Party? Long-running cons require that the target has to win now and again, so they don’t get suspicious, so his gains as president could have been arranged by the DNC. All the attacks on the man by the Democrats could have been staged easily, just as Mr. Sanders could have stepped down as a candidate to purposely get Democrat voters to vote for Trump. Looking at the last two presidential campaigns from this angle, it does make sense. It also presents a very good reason why Jo Jorgensen was not allowed to debate Biden or Trump, as she could have pointed out some of the discrepancies in their platforms and arguments.
Larry,,
On this one, I hope your prediction becomes true fact.
Although, the election is two years from now. it’s not a slam dunk that Trump may fade to that extent.
On the bright side, 2022 revealed the beginnings of a political sea change favoring moderate to slightly liberal leanings. Another true fact is, traditional Republicanism is not getting taken up in the opinions of younger and first time voters. The old GOP guard is, well… old and aging out of that demographic. By 2024 those young voters have gone through a pandemic experience and time after for perspective. How that comes out could not bode well for the Republican brand.
Your perspective on Trump, if true, sheds a bright light on the old party’s not grand status, going forward. This, too, may change. We shall see in this session starting in January if Republican slim majority will give credits toward grandness’ return.
Nice job Larry, you’re just like the idiot RINO’s and democrats trying to put a spin on a negative view of Trump. ENOUGH OF THIS AND THE BS I HAVE SEEN THE PAST FEW WEEKS YOU RINOS ARE TRYING TO DO! THE MEDIA AND RINOS ARE TRYING TO PIT DESANTIS AGAINST TRUMP! YOU ALL KNOW WE NEED TRUMP BACK WITH DESANTIS AND ABBOTT KEEPING THEIR STATES RED! WE DO NOT NEED RINOS!
I am sure any stocks you had Larry were doing very well when Trump was in office not to mention there wasn’t any massive issues with supply chain, other countries weren’t pulling things like they are now and aside from the stupidity of democratic states like California, New York, Illinois, Oregon, and Washington being total cluster F’s for giving free drugs out at the tax payers expense, enabling career welfare mothers, letting criminals out to do more crime, looting, assaulting, and etc. Gas and food was far cheaper and had it not been for fraud Trump would still be in office and we wouldn’t be having the problems of today. Trump should have brought the military in to clean up each state, ESPECIALLY CHICAGO AND THE GROSSLY INCOMPETENT PRITZGER AND LIGHTFOOT, WHAT A JOKE!
Yes, 80 million really voted for a senile old man who can hardly get his pants on much less know where he’s at with his constant gaffes showing he’s ready for a nursing home including a cackling walking mattress of a VP who can’t even do her job, is hide nor hair to be seen except when she pops out to say something stupid or try to pull the usual race card crap! NOT! Thanks to Pence not delaying the election certification from pressure and RINOS pulling their crap we now have the current disaster of a country with the whole world laughing at us. They should! We have bumbling idiots running this country!
If you RINOs think you can sway the public into believing Trump is desperate and not the best candidate you’re all as dumb as the democrats and equally garbage and NOT the best option for this country and should be considered an enemy of true Republicans just like BLM and ANTIFA! THE RINOS ARE JUST AS DESTRUCTIVE JUST IN A DIFFERENT WAY, WITH CORRUPTION AND MONEY!
You’re all scared to put yourselves out there for fear the democrats or others on the left will put pressure and attack so you’ll cave. Trump DOESN’T cave and has more balls than any of you combined not to mention can do ten times the work that other administrations do. You’re all scared of him and you should be. He makes the democrats, RINOs, left, and corrupt media like the gutter trash they are.
If the GOP wanted more candidates to win in the midterms they should have forked out more money like the democrats do rather than bitch about it. Put up or shut up!
People like Trump, DeSantis, Abbott, Greene, Boebert, Lake, and a few others seem to be the only ones on the Republican side who seem to have their s–t together or consistently fighting to try to save this country.
Where are the rest of you, sitting on your butts hanging on the coat tails of the ones putting in the work while you all complain about Trump instead of getting in there to help him fight for this country. I could care less if he is brash! If he gets the job done, so be it. Grow some thick skin!
Get it together Larry along with the rest of your RINO cronies and start acting like tough Republicans instead of the whiny adult children that go in whatever direction the wind is blowing and throw your bitchy tantrums. You got offended by something Trump said. Did the big man offend you, poor thing! I guess we have snowflakes on the Republican side too!
We don’t need people like this in the Republican party we need warriors not afraid to take on the mentally inept deep pocketed democrats and leftist idiots like Soros, Hillary, and Hunter that go scott free of all their criminal activity. Meanwhile, the GOP, aside from the few I mentioned, is allowing the democrats to turn our country into another Venezuela, Cuba, or any other third world country by letting socialists, communists, and marxists barrel right over you all.
LIKE I SAID, GET IT TOGETHER GOP and get rid of the RINOs and corrupt media that are continuing to ruin the Republican party! You already lost this last election and midterms partially by not getting behind Trump. It’s not his fault. You apparently haven’t lost enough with the last election or the state of this country before you all do something. Meanwhile Trump and the rest of his group has been fighting to make change. Feel free to get off your butts anytime to join in. That is so typical of RINOS!
The Republicans in this country know Trump IS the best option. The RINOs or weak individuals like Murkowski, Collins, Romney, Cheney, and others are killing the party and do so everytime they go against Trump and the voting Republicans of this country! There are so many politicians now that are so corrupt, commit flatout treason, fraud, and use taxpayer money illegally we could have a complete cleanup by putting many in 0rison or face capital punishment. We certainly know the democrats could all be lined up like they did at Nuremberg. No common man or woman would EVER get away with that brazen corruption these democrats pull. There are skeletons in the closet, on both sides, or both sides would be fixing the problems in this country. Trump is trying to do this and its imperative it be done. NO MORE CORRUPTION FROM DEMOCRATS, RINOS AND LEFTISTS!
They need to get the h–l out of the party on the Republican side if they cannot uphold the values the American people voted them into those roles. If you do keep them in you have no one to blame when the democrats decide to crap all over the party! Cheney as an example is just as delusional and deranged as Pelosi. They’re perfect for each other. We would get better results from Manchin than we would Murkowski and Collins! Again, we need great leaders not gutter trash! Trump has proven and shown he is a leader!
I like to grab magarats by the pussy. The boss said it’s okay.
Go grab your mother
Reply to LMS — VERY WELL SAID!! I couldn’t have said it better. Additionally, the only reason the virulent ongoing election Fraud wasn’t proven in court was because the courts, all in unison, REFUSED TO LOOK AT IT!!! We need a whole array of election reforms before the next election.
LMS …. I find it ironic that you call me a RINO even though I agree with almost everything you said about Democrats, the media and all those so-called conservative/Republicans who made common cause with the left-wingers. I think that you may be a new reader of my commentaries since you are not aware of my opinions. However … I do not idolize Trump — and I see a lot of problems he has created for those of us how believe in basic conservative principles. I voted for Trump in 2016 and 2020 because even with his faults, he and his administration was better for the country than the Democrats hardcore left-wing agenda. I did not vote for him in the primaries — and will not do so in 2024, if he is on the ballot. The Republican party has a lot of great leaders, and I am inclined to support one of them over Trump. I am loyal to conservative principles of limited government, low taxes, save border, free enterprise, etc., etc., etc.., etc. But will never be blindly loyal to one man. That is not the American way … and not the conservative way.
AMERICANS DO NOT DESERVE TRUMP. THEY ARE TO IGNORANT TO SEE A GOOD THING.
IF I WHERE TRUMP I WOULD NOT SPEND ANY TIME TRYING TO RESCUE THIS COUNTRY.
THIS COUNTRY IS GONE THANKS TO BIDEN AND OBAMA.
WE ARE TO STUPID TO REALIZE THIS. AMERICANS ARE TO LAZY TO REALLY STAND FOR THEIR OWN NATION.THEY ARE SPENDING THEIR ENERGY ON VIDEO GAMES, DRINKING AND DRUGS.COLLECTING WELFARE AND NEVER WORRY ABOUT THE FUTURE.
I have to Agree with you Emma, the American people DON’T deserve a man like President Trump as President who did a boat load of good for country and people and his efforts to save the country are being rejected instead of praised, looks like most Americans have NO appreciation for their own country, so yeah, America is gone, gone to the dogs, Unfortunately…..
Nope, they DON’T deserve him…..I just wrote a longer reply which was cancelled, didn’t know we have the Lib Police here too, I have said Nothing wrong or used unacceptable words as Bye, Bye Larry did…..
ur awesome and a true patriot dave b
Emma too
Trump won’t be nominated. The commie Marxist bastards have destroyed the best president that we have had in several years. But if he gets nominated l will proudly vote for him. In 2916 when he entered the race the democrats became unhinged. He’s announced again. Investigation again!!! The demonrat party are bullies and crooks. But I’m wearing my Trump tee shirts in public. So don’t screw with a bull or you’ll get the horn.
Fully Agree
LMS You said it all for me.
Larry, Just today I was mentioning to my wife how annoying I find your bias against Trump. 4 more years of a guy with nothing to lose and a penchant for steamrolling left wing’s subversion would be a beautiful thing. Better yet, give me 8 years behind that with DeSantis or other rising star to smooth the raw edges behind Trump. A Trump – DeSantis clash where Trump sucks all the oxygen will scar DeSantis in 2028 and leave either surviving candidate vulnerable in 2024. In 2022, we defended many more seats in the senate, gained some seats in the house and displaced some party dissenters in the primaries.
Shit, I didn’t realize Horist was such a RINO. Where’s that damn unsubscribe button…
I think Trump is the better deal for America but the one thing he is leaving out is not speaking of things we need badly to get us back out of the Socialist Devilrat glove with the holes they have cut to blister we the American citizens so we can get that free glove with no holes just their communist patches to make us think now all is well.
One truth I found was stated by Larry. He is no RIno as this breed was originally defined. Now MAGA Republicans really are the True RINO brand. As is the FPOTUS. The true Republican Party has taken a leave of absence right around the day when Trump descended the golden staircase. The smart ones are avoiding the media fray while both parties knuckle it out. They understand it’s not worth the bruising to a good name, reputation, and Trump affiliation.
Larry has some moments of clarity when admitting truth in facts, rejecting the RINO label is one.